Cruz moves to clear self of narco-politico tag

By Nora Soriño,
Iligan City Bureau Chief

Iligan City — Former mayor Lawrence Cruz yesterday said that he is in the process of clearing himself from the narco-politico tag on account of his being among the names in the list of the President.

Cruz said that at no time in his life was he ever involved in it.

On Dec. 23 last year, Cruz sent a letter to northern Mindanao police regional director Chief Supt. Agripino Javier asking him to conduct investigation on him so his name would be cleared “once and for all.”

Cruz said those who were on the list need not come to Camp Crame in the clearing process since it would done locally. This is to simplify procedures, he added.

Javier was not around to receive the letter but his staff did, Cruz said.

Last Jan. 18, he was visited by the police from station 5 led by its commander there, PO3 Jasper Ian Pasco. He said Pasco was with six of his men and barangay chair of Palao, Wenifredo Niez.

When he asked the team what was that he was accused of, he said that the police did not know. “This is malicious,” Cruz said. When somebody is accused of doing something bad, one must know. If he was accused as a drug pusher, or an addict or a drug protector, or whatever, he must know the details. Like for instance,  if he’s tagged as a pusher he should know to whom did he sell and on what date. Or if he’s a drug protector, who is the personality in the drug business that he’s protecting and who are the police officers helping him protect as the mayor alone does not have the capacity to protect some personality; he must have the police to do the protecting.

He said whoever submitted his name is “bayot.”

“One cannot just accuse somebody without the person accusing coming out in the open and giving the details,” said Cruz.

Pasco and his team did not really know about the matter, Cruz said.

“This is all drama-drama,” said Cruz. He said he had wrote a letter to Ga about the matter, copy furnished the PNP Regional Director, Interior Secretary Ismael Sueño. “This is a serious matter,” Cruz said.